1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blowby oil separator and reservoir device for separating gas from the liquid before recycling the blowby oil to the oil reservoir of a diesel engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art of interest describes various large and intricate apparatus for separating the phases of the oil and gas mixture emitted from an internal combustion engine. None of the related art disclose the economical and effective device of the present invention. The related art will be discussed in the order of perceived relevance to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,106 issued on Mar. 24, 1998, to Jose M. Gonzalez describes a fuel/vapor separator apparatus for diesel engines involving a connection of the separation canister to the diesel fuel filter cartridge and a valving arrangement for a cartridge change. The separation canister receives the mixture from the fuel tank and includes a vertical inlet tube feeding the vapor-liquid mixture to an upper metal screen element which agitates the mixture to cause the vapor to exit from the top and the liquid to exit from the bottom through a second screen to the diesel fuel engine. The separator apparatus is distinguishable for its direct connection to the diesel engine's fuel filter, receiving the gas/fuel oil mixture from the fuel tank (not blowby mixture) and the requirement of multiple screens. The prior art problems elucidated by Gonzalez are incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,860 issued on Oct. 18, 1994, to Charles L. Ekstam describes a fuel delivery system for diesel engines requiring a water separation filter, a fuel pump, a particulate filter, a regulator valve, and an air filter processing the fuel mixture in the order named. The numerous elements required distinguish this fuel delivery system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,595 issued on Jul. 29, 1986, to Kongoh Aoki et al. describes a lubricating oil separator located inside the cylinder head cover of an internal combustion engine. A vertically arranged foam metal filter collects the blowby mixture on the effluent side to drip into an oil reservoir which communicates with the upper chamber of the cylinder or the crankcase through a bevel check valve. The blowby gas apparently is emitted to the atmosphere or recycled to the crankcase. The lubricating oil separator is distinguishable for being limited to a foam metal filter in a gasoline engine requiring oil lubrication within the cylinders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,604 issued on Aug. 26, 1986, to Junichi Kanoh et al. describes an oil separator for an internal combustion engine similar to the Aoki et al. described above, but with the modification of a relief valve for the oil reservoir. The oil separator is distinguishable for its limitation to a foam metal filter in a gasoline engine for recovery of blowby lubricating oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,406 issued on May 29, 1979, to Steven G. Brandau et al. describes an internal combustion engine gas-oil separator in the form of a bowl with an open bottom clamped onto each rocker arm cover of a gasoline engine. The separator contains three non-aligned baffles in a stack to obtain sedimentation and impactive precipitation of the oil which seeps back into the rocker arm cover while the exhaust air is vented to the atmosphere or recycled to the crankcase. The separator is distinguishable for its baffled structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,529 issued on Feb. 9, 1988, to Tatsuhisa Yokoi et al. describes an oil separator inside the cylinder head cover for a blowby gas ventilation system of an internal combustion engine. The blowby gas with lubricating oil is passed through two vertical foam metal filters while the oil collects in two grooves provided adjacent the filters. The cleaned exhaust gas is recycled to the crankcase or vented to the atmosphere. The oil separator is distinguishable for its limitation to the cylinder head cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,138 issued on Jul. 9, 1996, to Christopher F. Coale describes a horizontally disposed cylindrical fuel separator apparatus positioned between a diesel fuel tank and a filter and pump leading to the diesel engine. The contaminated fuel is fed into a frustoconical centrifugation portion which separates the fuel raffinate (top) from the contaminants (bottom). An extract level sensor and a heat probe are added to the fuel separator housing. The fuel separator is distinguishable for its unique centrifugation means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,087 issued on Oct. 8, 1996, to Richard T. Wright describes an oil separator for blowby gases of a diesel engine, wherein the cleaned gases can be recycled or emitted to the atmosphere. A housing of various forms contains an apertured nozzle element spaced above an impingement plate to collect the oil droplets which pass through the bottom drain while the cleaned gases pass through a circuitous route to be either recycled into the air system of a closed system or exhausted into the atmosphere. The oil separator is distinguishable for its apertured nozzle element and the impingement plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,834 issued on Apr. 8, 1997, to John C. Lohr describes an air-oil separator for a crankcase ventilation system in an internal combustion engine. The housing is attached to the top of the engine and has an inlet consisting of two inlet tubes for receiving the blowby gases from the engine and causing the gases to swirl. The swirling effect causes some of the lubricating oil to collect within the tubes and fall back into the engine. The outlet for the gases is positioned near the top of the housing and above the corrugated double-sided baffle apertured at both ends to collect the lubricating oil separating from the gases flowing at a reduced rate. The lubricating oil drains through the apertures into the two inlet tubes and into the engine. The air-oil separator is distinguishable for its doubled and corrugated baffle and the double tube structure.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, an economical and effective blowby oil reservoir device for an internal combustion engine is desired.